FUZZY TAKAGI-SUGENO-KANG FOR MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTATION RECOMMENDATIONS

The condition of students experiencing trauma makes consultation a necessity, there is no mental health examination that can be accessed by students, parents, psychologists, student affairs using the fuzzy Takagi-Sugeno-Kang method so it is necessary to be able to create a recommendation system for student mental health consultations by using fuzzy Takagi-Sugeno-Kang. In accordance with the case given, each student with a neurosis score of 8, psychoactive substances 11, psychotic 10 and post stress trauma disorder 13 had a mental health symptom level of 24.28, meaning they were at a moderate level. With a mental health recommendation system, it can be handled earlier so that learning activities can run according to the desired achievements.

The relationship between sensory reactivity differences and mental health symptoms in children with neurodevelopmental conditions and their neurotypical peers

Background: Children with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDC) often have sensory reactivity differences, such as being overwhelmed by sounds, which can elicit distress in their everyday life. Furthermore, children with an NDC often present with a greater frequency of mental health symptoms compared to their typically developing peers. However little research has examined the relationship of these sensory reactivity differences on broader mental health. Aims: This study set out to explore the relationship between sensory reactivity and mental health symptoms. Methods: Data from parent-reported measures of sensory reactivity and mental health symptoms were collected for 49 children presenting with a neurodevelopmental condition and 42 typically developing (TD) controls. Procedures: Partial correlational analyses, controlling for IQ, were used to elucidate the relationship between sensory reactivity and mental health symptoms. Results: Children with an NDC were significantly more likely to present with a sensory reactivity difference or mental health symptom. Sensory seeking was found to be the sensory subtype most related to mental health symptoms, especially in externalising conditions. There was evidence also found for a relationship between depression, sensory seeking and sensory hypo-reactivity, and GAD and hyper-reactivity. Conclusions: Findings suggest a relationship between sensory reactivity and mental health symptoms in children with a neurodevelopmental condition. There is also preliminary evidence of unique sensory-based profiles of mental health. Implications: Assessment of sensory difficulties as part of more rigorous mental health assessments within mental health services will support more accurate diagnoses and intervention.

Uncovering Survivorship Bias in Longitudinal Mental Health Surveys During the COVID-19 Pandemic

AimsMarkedly elevated adverse mental health symptoms were widely observed early in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Unlike the U.S., where cross-sectional data indicate anxiety and depression symptoms have remained elevated, such symptoms reportedly declined in the U.K., according to analysis of repeated measures from a largescale longitudinal study. However, nearly 40% of U.K. respondents (those who did not complete multiple follow-up surveys) were excluded from analysis, suggesting that survivorship bias might partially explain this discrepancy. We therefore sought to assess survivorship bias among participants in our longitudinal survey study as part of The COVID-19 Outbreak Public Evaluation (COPE) Initiative.MethodsSurvivorship bias was assessed 4,039 U.S. respondents who completed surveys including the assessment of mental health as part of The COPE Initiative in April 2020 and were invited to complete follow-up surveys. Participants completed validated screening instruments for symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Survivorship bias was assessed for (1) demographic differences in follow-up survey participation, (2) differences in initial adverse mental health symptom prevalences adjusted for demographic factors, and (3) differences in follow-up survey participation based on mental health experiences adjusted for demographic factors.ResultsAdjusting for demographics, individuals who completed only one or two out of four surveys had higher prevalences of anxiety and depression symptoms in April 2020 (e.g., one-survey versus four-survey, anxiety symptoms, adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]: 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-1.55, P=0.0045; depression symptoms, aPR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.17-1.75, P=0.00052). Moreover, individuals who experienced incident anxiety or depression symptoms had higher odds of not completing follow-up surveys (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.22-2.31, P=0.0015, aOR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.15-2.12, P=0.0046, respectively).ConclusionsOur findings revealed significant survivorship bias among longitudinal survey respondents, indicating that restricting analytic samples to only respondents who provide repeated assessments in longitudinal survey studies could lead to overly optimistic interpretations of mental health trends over time. Cross-sectional or planned missing data designs may provide more accurate estimates of population-level adverse mental health symptom prevalences than longitudinal surveys.

Differences in mental health symptom severity and care engagement among transgender and gender diverse individuals: Findings from a large community health center

Mental health disparities among transgender and gender diverse (TGD) populations have been documented. However, few studies have assessed differences in mental health symptom severity, substance use behavior severity, and engagement in care across TGD subgroups. Using data from the electronic health record of a community health center specializing in sexual and gender minority health, we compared the (1) severity of self-reported depression, anxiety, alcohol use, and other substance use symptoms; (2) likelihood of meeting clinical thresholds for these disorders; and (3) number of behavioral health and substance use appointments attended among cisgender, transgender, and non-binary patients. Participants were 29,988 patients aged ≥18 who attended a medical appointment between 2015 and 2018. Depression symptom severity (F = 200.6, p < .001), anxiety symptom severity (F = 102.8, p < .001), alcohol use (F = 58.8, p < .001), and substance use (F = 49.6, p < .001) differed significantly by gender. Relative to cisgender and transgender individuals, non-binary individuals are at elevated risk for depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Gender was also associated with differences in the number of behavioral health (χ2 = 51.5, p < .001) and substance use appointments (χ2 = 39.3, p < .001) attended. Engagement in treatment among certain gender groups is poor; cisgender women and non-binary patients assigned male at birth were the least likely to have attended a behavioral health appointment, whereas transgender men and cisgender women had attended the lowest number of substance use appointments. These data demonstrate the importance of (1) assessing gender diversity and (2) addressing the barriers that prevent TGD patients from receiving affirming care.

Brazilian’s frequency of anxiety, depression and stress symptoms in the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives: to analyze the frequency of anxiety, stress and depression in Brazilians during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: cross-sectional study conducted with Brazilians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection was performed via an online electronic form containing self-reported sociodemographic and mental health variables using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) using the snow-ball sampling technique. For the whole study, a significance level of 0.05 was considered, except for the application of the stepwise method, which considered a level of 0.2. Results: 1,775 people responded the survey, mostly women (78.07%), white (58.13%), single (45.78%), currently working (63.74%). 32.03% received psychotherapy or some type of emotional support before the pandemic, 19.03% had some psychiatric diagnosis and 8.49% started some support after the beginning of the pandemic. The mean scores investigated by the DASS-21 scale were 5.53869 for depression, 4.467334 for anxiety and 8.221202 for stress. Conclusions: during the COVID-19 pandemic, sociodemographic and mental health characteristics were mapped and in Brazilians and the symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress were identified mainly in women, single people, who did not currently work and already had some previous mental health symptom.